David Franklin Baker

David (Dave) Baker, age 71, of Buchanan, VA, went peacefully to be with His Lord and Savior on March 7th, 2026 at Carilion Hospital in Roanoke VA.

Dave was the type of man that lived his life to its fullest, and even after being diagnosed with cancer nearly 4 years ago, he always held on to hope, even as it progressed, knowing that this world was not his home, and that he was just passing through. His life was a true, living testimony of grace, perseverance, and trusting in God's plan - even when his pain and fatigue became unbearable.

Although he will be deeply missed by his family, friends and everyone whose lives that he became a part of, anyone that truly knew him would know that his kind and compassionate heart would want his loved ones to find comfort and peace, having the complete assurance in knowing that he now stands completely healed, surrounded by a host of heavenly angels, and is joining them with his beautiful voice in singing praises in the very presence of his Heavenly Father, and Redeemer of his soul, Jesus Christ.

A part of Dave that will always be so endearing was how natural it was for him to light up any room he entered with that great big smile, wonderful sense of humor, and laugh of his that was simply contagious. He was one of those rare souls that genuinely loved people and it could easily be said that he never truly met a stranger. In addition to loving people, he had a gift for loving and nurturing animals, and they were always drawn to him. Although all of these are wonderful attributes to be known for, above all else, David would want to be remembered as a man of God. His life was rooted and grounded in his faith and belief in Jesus, as he stood firmly upon the truth and promises found in God's Word. His love for the Lord was evident with him never missing an opportunity to share the love of Christ with anyone and everyone he would meet. His humility, care and concern for others and his quiet strength were present in everything he did.

Dave's faith journey began shortly after his wife, Robin accepted the gift of salvation and then encouraged him to go with her to hear the gospel message at the church she was attending, Forestville Baptist Church (Maryland). Pastor Terry Brown was instrumental with nurturing both of them along in their Christian journey. While there, they also faithfully served for many years together as a team ministering to their youth group. It has been a blessing of a lifetime for them both to experience seeing many young people get saved and know that they are still growing in their faith to this day.

One of the greatest expressions of his faith was his heart for all people. He traveled on mission trips to Oklahoma to show the love of Christ and the plan of salvation to the Choctaw Indians in the area of Talihana. He led the construction team and was always ready to pitch in wherever and whenever needed, including being the cook for the team.

After moving from Cheverly, Maryland to Buchanan, Virginia, in February 2004, Dave and Robin opened a pet store in Lexington, Virginia, and converted it into a Doggie Day camp. They attended Mill Creek Baptist Church for several years where Dave became the Chairman of Deacons. He also taught Sunday school lessons and he was a wonderful teacher. After closing the Doggie Day Camp, Dave spent most of his recent years working and coordinating household goods transportation, corporate o ces and industrial relocations, including the massive undertaking of relocating an entire working hospital. He was highly respected for his work ethic and commitment to doing the best job and being the best boss possible. Dave was also a train engineer for Conrail and ran both passenger and freight trains in Maryland, DC, VA Potomac Yard (Alexandria VA) and up to New York. He had a passion for trains ever since. Dave also had a gift for being able to do carpentry work and being able to fix just about anything.

Recently, Dave and Robin had begun to attend Cave Rock Baptist Church in Troutville, VA, lead by Pastor Mark Childers, where they immediately felt right at home.

To those who knew him best, David was strong when he needed to be, gentle as a lamb, and a deeply loyal man. He loved his family fiercely and considered it one of his greatest blessings to be a wonderful husband, father, and Pop Pop.

He is survived by his loving and faithful wife of 41 years, Robin (Ford), his son Phillip Jarboe and two grandsons, Ryan and Travis, as well as many family members and friends who were touched by his lovingkindness, generosity, humor and God's grace. He will be forever in our hearts as a very special man.

A celebration of life will be held at Cave Rock Baptist Church, 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 11th.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Least of These (TLOT) Roanoke VA (theleastoftheseministry.org) a ministry that we both were involved with and is dear to our heart who help with physical and spiritual needs of the unsheltered friends